Just One Confession
by Enula
Summary: Sequel to JUST ONE WEEK! Years later, Bulma is almost ready to tell everyone her secret. But when Vegeta comes back, in a desperate moment, Bulma confesses the one thing that will, once again, change her and Goku's life.
1. To Tell or Not to Tell

_**Just One Confession**_

_**Prologue**_

_It was Pan's eighteenth birthday, and just like all the other birthdays in our household, we invited all our old friends over. The party room was crowded with people, and though I was getting up in age, I still liked a good old-fashioned celebration._

_Gohan's daughter was looking more and more like her mother by the day, also having the gentle heart of Gohan and Goku. Her dark eyes were large with excitement as she stood in front of her large birthday cake, the spark from the two candles lighting up her face. We were all singing "Happy Birthday" with joy, watching as the youngest member of our family turned into an adult._

_I smiled through it all. I took comfort in Goku's arm around my shoulders and the overly proud look in Gohan's eyes. I was so happy that I got to watch all of them grow up and begin having children of their own, maybe even soon to have grandchildren._

_But I was also feeling an uneasiness I hadn't allowed myself to feel for many, many years. It was the sense that I might very well soon be telling my family the secret I had kept from them all. I told myself from the beginning that I wouldn't hide it from them any longer once Pan reached her eighteenth birthday. _

_I would be turning sixty in a couple years, and though I still liked saying that I kept my good looks longer than most other people my age could hope to do, I wasn't sure how long I would be able to stay "young and vibrant". I didn't want to leave this world not having gotten all those dark secrets off my chest, nor did I want to leave Gohan with the responsibility to tell them._

_It was just a matter of building up the courage for…all of it…_

* * * * * * * *

"That was so much fun! Thanks for everything, you guys," Pan exclaimed as she bounced around the kitchen. Her parents and grandparents were the only ones cleaning up after the party; everyone else disbursed to be by themselves for the first time that day.

Videl smiled over her shoulder as she loaded the dishwasher, "Anything for you, Dear. I just hope everything we got you comes in handy."

Pan thought about all the books her parents got for her, hinting even harder about how bad they wanted her to attend college. She always heard her parents telling her the story of how they had her when they were only sixteen and didn't want the same fate for her. Of course, they over exaggerated how blessed they were to have her after telling the story, but she got the idea. Truthfully, however, she hadn't even had an actual boyfriend yet so she was totally different from them.

"Sure will. I'll start looking into colleges next week."

"How about tomorrow?" Gohan questioned, pushing his glasses further up on his nose.

Seeing the faltered look on Pan's face, Goku jumped in, "Aw, c'mon Gohan. Let her enjoy being eighteen for a few more days. After all, who knows how much longer she'll have this kind of freedom, right?" he laughed good-heartedly from across the kitchen, even when Gohan gave him a disapproving glance.

"Dad, you're too easy on her," Gohan commented, noticing how Videl and Bulma were staying out of this one.

"Yeah, but…she's my only granddaughter! What do ya expect?" Goku grinned at Pan before giving her a big wink. Pan laughed and couldn't stop herself from going over to him and giving him a big hug. It was always quite clear that he was the one she was closest to during her whole childhood.

"Don't worry too much, Gohan," Bulma spoke up, cleaning off all the counters with a damp dishrag, "Your father finally accepted that Bra will be leaving for college soon, so it'll be the same thing with Pan."

"Well…" Gohan sighed, "I guess that's true. But she always followed Goten and Trunks more than Bra, so that kind of leaves me worried."

Bulma put her hands on her hips, "Trunks is practically running Capsule Corp. now! What more could you want from him?"

"Hm, true…I'll give you that. But Goten's been doing nothing but hanging out with that new girlfriend of his. He's a little less—."

"Hello!?" Pan yelled suddenly, making them all turn their attention to her again, "I'm standing right here, ya know? You guys act like I left the room already!" Not waiting for a response, Pan made her exit.

All four of them got quiet for a moment before Goku made a small noise, "Aw…you guys upset her on her birthday."

Videl laughed at his worry, "Don't worry, Dad. She'll go find the others and forget everything that was just said."

"I hope she doesn't," Gohan piped up again, handing more dishes to Videl for her to load, "It's time for her to start getting serious."

Bulma groaned but smiled at him, flopping down in the chair beside Goku, "You sound just like your mother."

Smiling a bit uneasily over her shoulder, Videl shut the dishwasher door a little harder than was needed. She knew Gohan's little "secret" that Bulma was not his real mother, but he never allowed her to tell their daughter that small detail. Over the years of Pan growing up, Videl came to dread her questioning attitude of why her father didn't call her grandmother "Mom." She was thankful, if anything, that Gohan was always around to distract Pan away from the question, but it still didn't make it any better.

"Are you ashamed that you have a different mother than your siblings?" Videl would ask him sometimes when Pan would run off with the others.

Gohan would always look away quickly, "Don't be silly, Videl." And that was the only answer she ever received.

***

It was late. Goku went out to do a little midnight training to work off all that cake and ice cream he ate, all the kids were still out doing whatever they did late at night on weekends, and Gohan and Videl went to bed.

Bulma sat in the kitchen by herself, a warm cup of coffee wrapped around her thin hands. Her attention seemed highly focused on the rising steam coming from the beverage. She wanted to sleep, and knew that coffee might not have been the best idea to make, but she felt cold. It was the middle of summer, so she couldn't turn on the heat. She didn't think it was her skin that was cold; however, it was her insides.

"Bulma? What are you still doing up?"

Looking up quickly, Bulma squinted through the slight darkness to see Gohan in the doorway. He flicked on the light switch, apologizing quickly when Bulma had to slap her hand over her eyes.

"Ugh…well, I was getting tired, but that just woke me up," she lied, slowly uncovering her eyes as her pupils dilated to the bright light.

Looking at her strangely, he sniffed the air, "Coffee? At midnight? You planning on pulling a long overdue all nighter?" he smiled before sitting down next to her. His smile soon disappeared as he stared at her with the intensity that only he had.

Bulma saw this and covered her whole face with both her warm hands, "Don't give me that look, Gohan. Please…"

"Bulma, I saw how uncomfortable you were all day," he began, ignoring her plea, "Even if no one else noticed, it's not hard for me to tell when your mind's preoccupied." He paused when she didn't respond, nor uncover her face. Seeing that her mug was free from her clutches, he grabbed the handle with his index finger and pulled it toward him, taking the first sip of the warm liquid.

"Hey!" Bulma yelled as she slammed her hands on the table, "You could've got your own, you know. I made plenty."

"I see that," Gohan replied, not giving the mug back to her. He was almost surprised to see her give in so easily as she placed an elbow on the table, her open palm holding her cheek. He cleared his throat after a few seconds, "Bulma, maybe you should just leave well enough alone, you know…why were you always so obsessed with this when Pan turned eighteen?"

She wasn't even surprised Gohan guessed what was wrong. If he was able to know what her problems were when he was only sixteen, his growing older only enhanced that ability. Her eyes shifted to him.

"I have to do it, Gohan…I always told myself I would once all the kids were adults…"

"Yeah, but…" he stopped when he thought he heard something, but quickly dismissed it.

"It's been eating me up inside for years!" She suddenly yelled, making his eyes go wide from her outburst. He sighed and took another sip of coffee, too tired to think of a comeback right off the bat. He forgot why he even got out of bed in the first place. When he didn't respond, she continued, "But then I think…what if they all hate me after I tell them? How could I live with myself then?"

"Well, I doubt they'll hate you…especially my dad. You know he's not capable of that."

"But I know he'll still be devastated. I might tell him first anyway. But he's not really the one I'm worried about. I have a bad feeling over how Trunks and Bra will take it…I mean, how will they feel when they find out that Goku—."

"Bulma! If you're so worried, just tell my dad and let it be known through him and him alone!"

That silenced her for a moment. She could just do that…but would that be fair to all the rest of them? She didn't think that Goku would begin treating Bra any differently if he found out that she really wasn't his, or if he would even hold anything against her for keeping the secret from him. Goku was never one to hold grudges…but this particular situation had her worried.

Before she knew it, she sniffed involuntarily when her nose began to sting and her eyes got blurry, "Oh Gohan…I should've just let it out when Goku first came back…" The whisper was so soft; Gohan almost had a hard time hearing it. His eyes became gentle as he reached out and rested a hand over hers.

She looked from their hands to his eyes, not being able to hold back the smile that framed her lips when she saw him give that comforting look of his. She was so lucky to have him…even after all these years, he was still the one that made things seem better than they were.

They were so caught up in the moment; they didn't even hear the soft steps that came into the kitchen.

"Daddy? Grandma?"

They both looked up to see Pan standing in the doorway, her eyes wide. Gohan slowly retracted his hand, his eyes never leaving his daughter. Bulma looked back and forth between the two, suddenly feeling trapped. Pan just heard everything they were talking about? Her stomach tightened uncomfortably.

"Pan…" she began with a forced smile, "I thought you went out with the others…"

"No, I was just talking to Trunks in his office…" her voice took on a foreign hint, like it was not her native tongue she was speaking, the words coming out slowly and carefully.

When Bulma had nothing to respond with, she quickly searched the kitchen for something else to distract Pan with, but her own mind was whirling too fast to focus on anything but what Gohan and her had been talking about. The silence in the room was killing her. Why wasn't Gohan saying anything?! Why wasn't he coming up with something to change the subject?! When her eyes fell back on him, she saw that he was still staring at Pan. Maybe it was just her, but his eyes seemed to be telling her everything she wanted to know.

Horror overtook her. Before she could stop herself, she jumped to her feet. Her chair fell backward from the push and the table shook enough to spill the coffee.

"Whew, that felt great!" Bulma's head snapped to out in the hallway, recognizing Goku's voice. He entered the kitchen, a white towel wrapped around his neck, but sweat still pouring off his skin. He cocked his head to the side when he saw Bulma, Pan, and Gohan in the kitchen, "Wow, you guys are still up?"

Not picking up on the tension in the room, he quickly wrapped his arms around Pan and picked her up wedding style. The sudden movement snapped Pan out of her thoughts, her big eyes blinking up at the matching ones of Goku.

"C'mon, Pan…let's have a quick birthday wrestling match!" He laughed good-heartedly and, not even thinking that she would want to turn the offer down, carried her out of the kitchen.

Gohan and Bulma watched her get carried away before turning back to each other. Bulma's heart was calming down as she picked up the chair and took a seat again. She ignored the look Gohan was giving her as she forced a smile, "Heh, Goku saved me that time. Eight points for him, nine for you. Careful…he's catching up." She winked.

Gohan's look didn't change to even suggest that he found that at all humorous. Bulma sunk back in her seat, feeling like a child that was about to get reprimanded.

"Bulma, if you're going to tell them, then do it. If not, then stop talking about it," with that, Gohan got up from the table and left her sitting in the kitchen by herself.

Great…I hate it when Gohan narrows it down like that. Why can't I have more time to think about it!? Of course…I already had eighteen years to think it over, so maybe he's right. Like usual.

Subconsciously, she stood back up to get a rag to clean up the spilt coffee.

---------------

**A/N: Hello everybody!! **So, can you believe it or what? I'm back and with a sequel to my most popular DBZ story "Just One Week"! I hope I can get all the readers/reviewers attentions for this one as well as I did for the first part. It's been awhile since I wrote DBZ, so I want to clear some things up so I don't get mistaken…

All right, for starters, I wanted to keep this story in the same basic format as "Just One Week". I first began writing this story in Pan's POV, thinking I was going to switch it from her, to Bra, to Bulma, then back again. As the story progresses, you'll see why I tried to do it that way. But the more I began writing in Pan's POV, the more I was disliking "Just One Confession" 's format. Bra and Pan are eighteen in this story, and no matter how I tried to go around it, I couldn't get past the fact that I would have to write them as typical teenagers. They didn't grow up like Gohan and don't have Bulma's knowledge. So, in the end, I started from scratch and stayed loyal to keeping the story in Bulma's POV. I think most of you would want it that way as well.

And since you read the summary, I guess it's safe to say that you know that Vegeta will make his appearance in this story. So to make things clear…I hate stories that make Vegeta out to be nothing but a cold—blooded murderer. I never found Vegeta a horrible person, even during the Vegeta and Namek Sagas. It was Frieza that forced him to become somewhat evil so he would be able to withstand a lot of crap he was put through. That's why, in "Just One Week" I didn't have him harm anyone as he was leaving Earth. I could have easily had him try to destroy the earth like he originally had planned. Sure, he left his family, but I'll explain a lot more of that in this story.

Also, I'm still categorizing this as a Goku/Bulma romance. There may not be much of it at first, but after I read through "Just One Week", I realized there wasn't a whole lot in that one either. I'm assuming you guys liked the main concept and plot behind the story enough to keep you around…that's my intention for "Just One Confession" as well. But since they were the reasons the story even came into existence, I want to honor that at least at a minimum.

So to not make it seem like my A/N is longer than the actual story, I'll close with that. I'm not sure how popular/unpopular the DBZ section has gotten, let alone the Goku/Bulma section, but I hope enough of my fans from "Just One Week" finds this and can enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it again. I'm still getting plenty of awesome reviews from you guys, so I felt confident enough to start the sequel. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!

~Enula~


	2. Vegeta Returns

**_Just One Confession_**

**_I._**

_The next couple days left me stressed. I didn't have Gohan to talk to about my indecision, and he was the only one I could talk to about it! Every time we all sat down to eat as a family, I would begin to tell it, but quickly stop myself. Everything I thought of to say just didn't feel appropriate to start the conversation. I mean, what does Gohan expect of me?! Does he want me to just blurt it out like it was nothing?! Leave them all speechless and have them to figure out the rest on their own as I take my leave?_

_Finally, one day came where I found peace and quiet to try to think things through. Goku took Uub out for some training, Goten had a date with his girlfriend, Paresu, Trunks was working up in his office, Gohan and Videl were also at work, and Pan was off doing who knows what…probably trying to get my son to fly out the window again. Bra stayed with me, but she sat on the opposite end of the couch, reading one of her fashion magazines._

_I was also pretending to read the latest addition of Capsule Corp. Unlimited, but my mind couldn't focus on any of the words, even when I somewhat noticed that they featured an interview with Trunks on one of the pages._

* * * * * * * *

"Hey guys, what are you up to?" Pan yelled more loudly than was necessary as she bounced down the stairs.

Neither Bra nor Bulma took their eyes away from their magazines as they mumbled a low "nothing."

Pan crinkled her nose before jumping over the back of the couch to sit in between them. She looked over Bra's shoulder first, seeing she was looking at shoes. Deciding to make small talk, Pan pointed at a pair of blue heels, "Those are nice."

"Yeah, but they would be almost impossible to walk in," Bra added, pointing to the page's title, "It says that these are party shoes, but someone would break their ankle just trying to keep their balance. I think they would be more for looks…ya know, to make your shoe collection look good."

"Hm…" honestly, Pan couldn't care less at what Bra was saying. She could've started an argument over how pointless it would be to have shoes and not wear them, but didn't even feel like going that far. She turned to her other side and looked over Bulma's shoulder to see she was looking at the latest technology.

"Was that made by Capsule Corp.?"

Bulma smiled widely, "Yes, as a matter of fact. Some of our best engineers recently created it. Trunks is busy with all the paperwork on it right now. He's also checking over all the prototypes to make sure everything is completely functional."

Pan mimicked her smile, "Trunks sure is smart."

"Of course!" Bulma beamed, winking knowingly at Pan, "Trunks is my little boy! He takes after his mother," she giggled at how cute that still sounded after all these years and went back to reading the article.

Pan found an opening and jumped on it, "But Trunks isn't the youngest boy…Goten is."

Bulma looked over at the dark-haired girl again, "Yes well…they're both my little boys. It was just…a figure of speech."

"Yeah, but if Trunks takes after you by being so smart, how come Goten and Bra aren't smart?"

"Hey!" Bra cut in, her eyes narrowed down from the insult, "Just because I don't feel like working for the family business, doesn't mean I'm not smart, Pan! What a weird accusation…"

"Exactly my thoughts…" Bulma added, raising a curious eyebrow, "Goten and Bra are both just as smart, Trunks just likes to show it more. Your father is very intelligent, also."

Pan stopped this small attack, seeing that she was getting nowhere. She crossed her arms and put her thumbnail between her lips as she thought hard. She barely noticed that Bulma was still staring at her with intensity.

"Pan…?" Bulma began slowly, "What made you say that anyway?"

Sighing, Pan uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on her legs. With determined eyes, her eyes went back and forth between her grandmother and the floor, "Grandma, I heard you and my dad talking the other night…about something you wanted to tell all of us."

"Oh…!" Bulma's eyes shrunk immediately, her face going deathly pale. Pan heard her heartbeat pick up and the magazine get crumbled in her tight grip. Feeling the tension rise with each second, Bra was forced to put her magazine down and look around Pan at her mother.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Bra asked, wondering what it was that Pan said that got her all worked up.

"Y-yeah…I just…" Bulma stuttered over her words, her eyes shaking which made it impossible for her to see straight. Finally, she dropped the magazine to the floor and stood up quickly, placing her sweaty palm over her burning forehead, "Excuse me, girls."

She quickly walked around the couch and up the stairs. As soon as she was out of their sight, she cursed lowly.

_So this is how you're going to handle it, Bulma? By running away every time the opportunity arises to let out what you want to tell anyway? Damn, have I really become that weak minded…?_

Bulma made her way to her bedroom, closing the door softly and locking it. She didn't want bothered. It was time for her to figure out how she wanted to say it…and she would write it down! It was always easier to say things once they were down on paper!

Feeling inspired, she grabbed a small notebook and pen that were sitting atop her dresser. She sat down on the edge of her bed, opening the notebook and folding it behind itself to reveal a blank page. She clicked the bottom of the pen and pressed it to the paper, her hand suddenly pausing.

_Maybe if I get more comfortable…_

She crawled further up her bed, placing all the pillows against the wall so she had back support. Once she was sitting up straight with her legs comfortably stretched out in front of her, she placed the pen on the paper again. Still nothing…

_It's kind of hot in here…_

She reached over and flicked on the switch that would turn on the ceiling fan. Then pen was on the paper again.

Seconds turned into minutes. The bright white of the paper seemed to be overwhelming her.

_What the hell's wrong with me?! …Maybe I just need some fresh air._

Bulma swung her legs over the edge of the bed again, placing her feet on the floor before she walked over to the window. She clicked the latches open before gripping the bottom of the window and pushing up, closing her eyes momentarily as the soothing air rushed over her face. She looked out at the sky, smiling when she saw it was a beautiful day. Her eyes traveled down to the ground, her smile growing larger when she saw Trunks, Pan, and Bra outside. Her smile slowly faded, however, when she got a better view of them. Something in their stances didn't seem right…

All three of them were looking up into the sky, Trunks and Pan lowered in their fighting stances. Bra was behind Trunks, her hands gripping her brother's shoulders.

_What in the world…?_ Bulma tried to angle her head to look high into the sky to see what they all saw. When the screen blocked her from doing so, she looked back down to see that the three of them had yet to move. Feeling suddenly worried, she pushed herself away from the window and rushed out of hr bedroom and down the stairs. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest as she sensed in her own way that something was wrong.

As she reached for the doorknob that would lead her outside, a loud noise suddenly exploded all around her, an earthquake like rumble causing her to lose her balance and fall backward before she could grab something to support herself.

Bulma wasn't sure why, but she was having a flashback. This very moment felt like something from her past…something horrible. Sure, in the back of her mind, she knew. She knew it could be nothing but the obvious. But as she sat stupidly on the floor in front of the door, she wouldn't allow herself to settle on that conclusion until she saw it with her own eyes. After all, this was coming from outside this time…

She snapped back to reality when the shaking stopped and all the items that fell off shelves settled. She only heard a low hissing sound now. Quickly, she pulled herself to her feet and pulled the door open, her eyes settling on Trunks, Bra, and Pan again. It seemed like they hardly moved a muscle. Then she looked past them.

_Oh…_ She felt sick to her stomach._ No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!_

Her mind couldn't stop screaming the word. Her pupils dilated as she remembered a night almost nineteen years ago…when a sudden disturbance came in the middle of the night; the night that changed her life and made the secrets of the past all the more unforgiveable.

"That's not a Capsule Corp. spaceship," Trunks commented loud enough for all of them to hear. This snapped Bulma out of her nightmare as she studied the ship that landed in her front yard. Her son was right…it looked nothing like anything her company built. The numbers on the side weren't even in a language she was familiar with.

_He left in my spaceship…so it couldn't be…him…_

The hatch opened, the steam around the object beginning to disappear as the engines cooled.

"Get ready, Pan," Trunks said, lowering himself further into an offensive position.

"Right…" Pan replied meekly, punching herself mentally for sounding so pathetic and scared. She never had to face an enemy, but she always loved listening to Goku's stories of some of his battles. Those stories were her motivators to train as hard as the guys in case of a moment like this. But now that the opportunity to put her training to use had arisen, she wasn't so sure she was ready.

A man with spiked hair and sharp eyes began to descend from the ramp. His outfit consisted of a dark blue bodysuit under heavy golden blue armor. His boots and gloves were as black as his eyes, the mocking smirk playing on his lips making him look all the more villainous.

A loud gasp behind them made them all turn and see Bulma standing in the doorway of Capsule Corp., her eyes wide with horror. She wished she had some actual words to form, but her mind was running so fast, it was literally blank.

"Ve-Vegeta?" was the only word uttered from Bulma's lips.

"What?!" Trunks, Bra, and Pan screamed at once.

"Mom, you know this guy?" Trunks asked incredulously, turning back around to stare into the eyes of the man she called Vegeta.

Vegeta stepped off the ramp, his arms crossed over his chest in a confident manner. He stopped when his boots touched the grass, staring at the people before him.

His smirk grew before he chuckled, "So this is what I'm presented with? Three pathetic females and my son that gives off a power level so low it shouldn't even be considered a _slight _threat?"

"Son?!" Trunks screamed, gritting his teeth as he powered up, his hair flying into the air as it turned a bright gold, a colorful aura surrounding his body, "You must have made a wrong turn somewhere, Buddy. I'm not your son and you're not welcome here." Trunks was already past the point of trying to talk to this man; his energy was too high and too evil to want to reason with.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow before raising his eyes to see Bulma still frozen in the doorway. When he spotted the terrified look written all over her face, he laughed again, "Oh, really? So you never told the brat the truth, eh? Didn't have the heart to tell him his father was a cold-hearted bastard of a prince?" He mocked, remembering her calling him that multiple times in the past.

"Wha—." Trunks began but stopped when he heard Pan gasp loudly beside him. His eyes shifted over to her to make sure she was all right, but was surprised to see her looking back at his mother.

There was a realization in Pan's eyes. She was no idiot, and it never took her very long to figure out a puzzle. And with the scared and guilty look that couldn't seem to shake free of Bulma's features, Pan knew she was right.

"Grandma…don't tell me this is what you and my dad were…" she trailed off, but quickly turned back to Vegeta when he laughed yet again.

"Grandma, huh? Have you been busy these past years or what?" Vegeta only took one step forward before Trunks screamed and flashed in front of him, throwing his leg hard into Vegeta's head. The sharp, green eyes that Trunks bore widened in shock when Vegeta was able to grab his leg in mid kick before it even scraped his hair.

Vegeta's smirk deepened, turning into a menacing scowl, the kind of look that no one would want to see when they were captured, "It's good to see that you made it to Super Saiyan, Boy. But it won't be enough if you want to beat me!" With what seemed like just a flick of his wrist, he tossed Trunks to the side. Pan and Bra watched as he flew some distance before crash landing into a tree.

Pan ignored the scared sounds emitting from Bra as her eyes narrowed at Vegeta. Her heart was pounding loud in her ears as she told herself she stood no chance against this guy if he was able to throw Trunks off that easily even in Super Saiyan form. But until Goku got there, she had to at least try to defend Bra and Bulma.

Her loud scream echoed as she powered up, her own bluish red aura flashing around her. Her power caused her bandanna to fly off her head, her midnight hair flowing around her head. Without thinking it through, she kicked herself off the ground and flew toward her opponent. Before she even had a chance to realize she was close enough to touch him, he did a quick twirl, sending his foot into her gut. The kick was more of a pressure blow, as she didn't go flying, but was momentarily paralyzed in front of him.

"Pan!" Trunks screamed as he entered the fight again, throwing multiple punches at Vegeta's face. Vegeta grinned and dodged every single last one of them.

"I can tell that you've been neglected of proper training, Trunks." Vegeta commented.

Against his better judgment, Trunks stopped throwing punches. He was surprised that…that this man knew his name. He didn't recall anyone yelling out his name to make it known, so how did…unless he…

"Never get distracted in battle!" Vegeta yelled angrily, sending his knee into Trunks' gut. Trunks dropped to the ground beside Pan, both holding their midsection in pain.

"Oh, no…" Bra mumbled under her breath as she held her hands together. Pan and Trunks were out of the picture for the moment, and now he was staring right at her. _Dad…Uub…where are you guys?! You're the only two that might stand a chance against him…_

Her eyes widened when he began to walk toward her. She looked slightly over her shoulder to see her mother still in the doorway, not moving a muscle. Bra was terrified. This was the reason she never liked fighting with the others; because she absolutely hated the feeling of being trapped and the possibility that extreme pain was right around the bend…

But although she wasn't a fighter, she was half Saiyan. That was more than what her mother could say and, hoping that her father would soon arrive to protect her, knew she had to protect her mother in the meantime.

She swallowed roughly and lowered herself to mimic the pose Trunks and Pan were in earlier, feeling very awkward and out of place doing it. She didn't have the slightest idea of what she would even do to try to hold him off. The fear and insecurity must have been shining through her eyes quite brightly, for Vegeta stopped right in front of her, not even looking slightly amused.

Her breath quickened and she squeezed her eyes shut. Blindly, her right fist thrust forward to his face, almost surprised when she felt it collide. Slowly, almost unsure, she began to squint her eyes open to see that she made the hit…but what got her even more frightened had she missed, was that he seemed unharmed by it…like it was nothing more than a tap on the shoulder.

They stared at each other from around her fist she had yet to lower, her body beginning to tremble as she foresaw what was about to happen. Before she could comprehend it, she felt his gloved hand wrapped around her neck as she was lifted from the ground. Bra could only make a low grunting sound as her own hands wrapped around his larger one in a pitiful attempt to pry his fingers open.

"Vegeta, no!" Bulma finally screamed, coming out of her own mind when she realized that Vegeta already defeated all of them.

"Is that the best you can do?" Vegeta asked her, finding her words idiotic, "Where is Kakarot?"

"I…I…" she knew Goku had to be coming soon…she knew him and Uub traveled to the middle of nowhere a lot so no civilization would be in their way as they trained, so it was only a matter of time. If she could just distract him long enough…

"Spit it out!" Vegeta yelled, not wanting to play around when it came to his ultimate enemy, "Or the girl gets it…" To make his point, he squeezed her neck harder, Bra's legs flailing as her breath was beginning to get taken away from her.

"Vegeta…why…" she thought quickly, seeing her daughter in Vegeta's clutches not allowing her to think straight, "Why did you come back now? Goku's been back…for…a long time now…"

Vegeta smirked, seeming like he forgot that he was holding a girl's life in his hands, "Yes well…I've been busy with other things. But that doesn't concern you. Now tell me where he is…or else!" He screamed, squeezing Bra's neck so hard, it would have made a normal human pass out minutes ago.

Bulma's eyes widened. She didn't know where he was! But the more seconds she let pass, the more Vegeta was torturing Bra. When she began to hear a strange sound coming from Bra's throat, Bulma clenched her fists and screamed the only thing her mind was telling her to yell, _"Vegeta, that's your daughter! Let her go!"_

This even caught Vegeta by surprise. His eyes widened, ignoring the fact that Pan and Trunks were close behind him.

"Daughter!?" Pan and Trunks screamed at once, the turn of events surprising them too much to sneak up on Vegeta like they planned.

Vegeta looked at the blue haired girl he held in his grip. He could tell that she was Bulma's daughter…the girl was practically her clone. Then he looked closer. There was nothing particularly there that told him right off the bat that she could be his daughter, but the fact that she looked about eighteen or nineteen years old made him remember the night he visited Earth all those years ago. He knew it could be very possible Bulma was telling the truth.

He chuckled and, though he still could have killed her, he tossed her to the ground, ignoring her sharp intakes of breath. Pan ran over to Bra, falling to her knees as she tried to help Bra calm down to breathe normally again. When Bra lifted her head, Pan could already see the dark bruises forming on her otherwise perfect skin.

"Vegeta!" Hearing his name from the sky, Vegeta looked up to see Goku and a dark-skinned man. Vegeta's smirk turned into almost a joyful smile, at least in his standards.

"Kakarot…I knew you'd be here this time…I don't make mistakes twice." He watched as Goku lowered himself to the ground, noticing the fellow Saiyan looked completely different in a blue gi compared to his orange one Vegeta always seen him in.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Vegeta," Goku began, having never heard the story from Bulma, "But you came here and threatened my family. You know I don't take lightly to that…"

Vegeta made a sound of self pleasure before crossing his arms over his chest again, "But Kakarot…it seems that this family is just as much mine as it is yours. Didn't you hear the wench a moment ago? The blue-haired brat's mine."

Goku didn't respond; his facial expression did not change. It was almost like the news went in one ear and out the other. Bulma had rushed over to Bra to help her up in case Pan had to jump in to fight again. Though she knew Bra would be okay, Bulma couldn't lift her eyes from her daughter. She couldn't look at Goku right now…her guilt wouldn't let her.

_This is not how I wanted it to be…_

"What do you want, Vegeta?" Goku asked, his eyes narrowed down just as low as Vegeta's, the look on his face nowhere near it's pure and gentle self.

The two Saiyan's stared at each other for a long moment. Pan and Trunks stood close by, their fists clenched, ready to pounce at any given time if they had to. But with the serious look on Goku's face, they knew this was no place for them. If Goku felt threatened, they had reason to fear for their lives.

Suddenly, Vegeta lifted to the air, flying at Goku's level. The prince seemed suddenly angry, as though something were said against him in that moment of silence, "I came here to finish what I started! I swore that I would defeat you one day, Kakarot, and I don't intend to dismiss my goal!"

In a brief instant, Vegeta went Super Saiyan, followed by Goku; two loud blasts of power ringing in everyone's ears. They must have made a silent agreement to fight elsewhere, for there were no more words spoken as they both flew off into the distance. Thinking quickly, Trunks went Super Saiyan also, flying up to Uub who seemed just as surprised by Vegeta's sudden intrusion.

"We have to go help him!" Trunks yelled at him, watching only as he nodded in agreement as the two of them shot off after Goku and Vegeta.

Pan's eyes widened when she realized they went off without her. Powering up also, she flew to the sky, screaming when the back of her shirt was grabbed before she got too far. She looked over her shoulder to see her father behind her.

"Daddy! Daddy, I have to go help Grandpa and the others! Some guy named—."

"You'll only get in their way, Pan! You're no where near strong enough to help any of them!" Gohan yelled at her, not taking the time to tell her this nicely. Pan's eyes widened when he screamed at her, never having heard him talk in that tone to anyone, let alone his own daughter.

She backed away quickly when Gohan went Super Saiyan also, his energy not allowing her to be too close to him, "If Goten comes here, tell him to stay here with you guys in case something else happens." And with that, he was off also.

"But…b-but…" Pan watched him go, too dumbfounded to have any words for what just happened. She screamed out her frustration, her ki flickering to high and then low. Her angry eyes shot to the ground, seeing Bulma and Bra still standing side by side. She flew to the ground, her hands out to her sides as she took steps toward them.

"Grandma, what the hell was that!? You've never said anything about him, and all of a sudden he shows up and he's Bra's…" she stopped here, suddenly noticing how distressed Bra looked.

Pan looked at the ground with the two blue-haired girls, not sure what else to say. When she felt another power approaching, she looked to the sky to see Goten dropping in front of them.

"Pan, what happened?! I felt something really strong and then…" he looked around, noticing they were the only three there, "Where did everyone else go?"

"Grandpa, Daddy, Trunks, and Uub went to go fight Vegeta," Pan stated simply, as though it was something that happened everyday.

"Who?" Goten asked, but didn't linger on the simple question as he looked around to try to sense where all of them flew off to. His eyes widened when he felt all the strong powers in the west and powered up as he was about to fly off.

"Stop!" Pan yelled, hating stopping Goten almost as much as she hated her dad stopping her, "My dad told me to tell you to stay here with us…in case…" she didn't end her sentence as she looked at Bulma again, seeing that she still wasn't looking anyone in the eye.

This is when Goten noticed the bruises on Bra's neck. He ran past Pan to her side, "Bra! Bra, are you…okay…?"

Bra was still leaning on Bulma for support, but as soon as she was asked that unbearable question, knowing that she was far from okay, made the tears begin to slide down her face. Roughly, not caring at the moment if she hurt her mother, she shrugged her way free from Bulma's grasp and flew into her brother's arms, soaking his shirt instantly.

Bulma only made a small stumble as Bra forced her way to Goten. She accidentally locked eyes with Pan. She recognized that look…it was the same terrified look Gohan gave her many years ago when his mother began going insane…


	3. The Past is Repeated

**_Just One Confession_**

**_II._**

_Once we got Bra inside, or I guess I should say when Goten got Bra inside, I was surprised there weren't a million questions thrown at me. But everyone seemed to be in their own state of mind. Goten prepared a bag of ice for Bra and sat beside her on the couch as Pan paced in front of them constantly. I kept my place at the bottom of the stairs, my knees pulled up to my chest as though I was some child that was put in timeout._

_I didn't know what drove me crazier: The fact that no one was asking me anything, or not knowing how Vegeta and Goku's fight was going. Would Goku be able to talk some sense into him like he had done in the past? Maybe, just maybe, Goku would be able to bring out the good in Vegeta again and he'll be happy living on Earth with us again…like how it was supposed to be._

_The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that wouldn't work out as smoothly as it was supposed to. If Vegeta never left in the first place, him and I might still be together. But now that there's been a drastic change of events, I wasn't so sure._

_I know I keep bringing this up, but I couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu. Here I was, waiting around the house as I was kept in the dark about how the battle was going. I just wished that it wouldn't have the same ending as it did last time…_

_My wish didn't come true._

* * * * * * * *

It had been almost half a day since Goku and the others flew off to fight Vegeta and they still had yet to hear any word on how it was going. Pan hardly stopped pacing, even against Goten's persistence upon trying to get her to stop. It was getting the normally calm man to become agitated.

"Pan, for the last time…if you don't sit down and chill, I'm going to make you," Goten said quite persuasively, though it had no effect on her.

"Oh shut up! Aren't you the least bit worried?!" Pan yelled back finally, her eyes wide with anger, "This strange guy just shows up to fight Grandpa for Grandma! Who knows how powerful he could actually be! He tossed Trunks and I around like we were ragdolls!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Bulma finally stood up, shaking her hands in front of her face, "Pan, that's not why Vegeta came back to fight Goku…I have nothing to do with it."

Pan narrowed her eyes at Bulma, putting her hands on her hips, "You can't hide the truth from us any longer. If that guy is Trunks and Bra's father, then you had to have had an affair with him at some point while you were still with Grandpa!"

Before Bulma could explain, Goten popped to his feet, his eyes practically bulging out of his head.

"What?! Mom…is that true? What…the hell?" Goten tried to calm down for a moment, scratching the back of his head. He looked down at Bra, now knowing why she looked more distressed than usual. Out of all the reasons he thought everyone was on edge, this was the furthest from what he expected.

"N-no…" Bulma trailed off, not quite sure if Pan hit the nail on the head or not. It put her in an even harder position not knowing how to explain based off of Pan's accusation, "I mean, not exactly. It's complicated."

Pan gave a cruel, haughty chuckle, "Complicated? I heard—."

"Pan, stop!" Goten yelled, his eyes narrowed in concentration, "I feel someone returning…it's weak, but it's there." Without another word, Goten ran from the living room and into the front yard, his eyes shooting to the skies. He sensed Pan running up beside him, and Bulma and Bra behind him.

"Who…is it?" Pan asked, her fists clenched so tight from anticipation they were trembling in pain.

"I don't know, I can't tell yet," Goten replied, suddenly wishing that he had gone to help fight against Gohan's wishes. Sure, there might still be hope that Goku was the one returning...but what of the others? How come only one power level was coming to them?

Suddenly, a bright blast appeared right above them, causing all four of them to cover their eyes. The blast stopped in the sky and that's when they realized it was a person…

Pan looked up first, expecting to see her grandfather. He face faltered and her legs shook as she quickly came to the realization that it wasn't her grandfather at all. She swallowed hard, "Oh no…it's Vegeta."

As though that were an invitation, Vegeta began to lower himself to the ground. He was pretty beat up; half of his armor was missing, his left eye was glued shut, and there seemed to be enough blood pouring off him to donate to a whole village.

Although they were all shocked, Bulma was the one that got over it first. Leaving Bra's side, she walked in between Goten and Pan, leaving them behind her as she boldly stepped in front of Vegeta.

"Mom, don't!" Goten yelled, though didn't make any other attempt to try to stop her.

Vegeta didn't make a move. Bulma stared into his right eye, her face full of anger and wisdom. In all the time she spent with Vegeta, she never knew him to physically hurt her. Even when he had the chance when he first came to Earth, he didn't lay an evil finger on her. Whether he just thought she was no threat to even bother or if he did have some sort of weak spot for her, she wasn't sure, and wasn't about to question it. Either way, she was tired of everyone else fighting a battle they had no chance of winning when she might be able to talk to him.

"Vegeta…what happened to Goku, Gohan, Uub, and our son?"

He still didn't move. Aside from the harsh breaths that were coming in and out of his open mouth, he was silent. He grabbed his side roughly before standing straight, ignoring all of his broken ribs.

"Gohan and the dark one are fine; but they're knocked out. You might want to have someone go retrieve them before they bleed to death out there," Vegeta explained, making Goten and Pan raise an eyebrow. Why did he…sound like that?

Bulma waited for him to tell her the rest. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest, it knowing the answer her mind refused to accept until she heard it straight from his mouth.

"That…stupid brat of yours got in the way as I was about to make my final blow!" Vegeta yelled at Bulma as though it was her fault it happened, "You should have taught him that heroics are unnecessary if he knows he doesn't stand a chance!"

She blinked back her tears. No…she wouldn't cry. Not yet. Her body and soul were numb and sensing that Vegeta regretted killing their son was not helping the matter. Vegeta clenched his fists that only bore torn bits of his gloves now. Her not responding was getting him agitated.

"Oh, but don't worry! Your precious _Goku_ is out for the count too!" he used Goku's Earth name to stress his point, and though it would have had the same blow on Bulma regardless what name Vegeta used, it somehow struck an even more powerful cord upon hearing him tell her he killed Goku.

Before Bulma could think of anything to say, Pan was flashing past her.

"How could you,_ you bastard_!" the quarter Saiyan screamed as tears flew behind her. Her quickness took the injured Vegeta off guard. She made impact with his side, her foot crushing his ribs in a few more places. He grunted as he was thrown to the ground, drips of blood sliding down the side of his mouth. Pan wouldn't let him recover. She flew above him, clamping her hands together as she got ready for a blow to his chest.

Mustering up what little energy he had, Vegeta sent a small blast up at her as soon as she was close to him. It hit dead on, sending her flying up through a tree and back down with a loud thud.

"Pan!" Goten yelled as he powered up, his hair turning gold. He pushed off the ground, ready to give this guy what he had coming to him.

_"Stop!"_

Hearing the loud command, Goten stopped mere inches away from smashing Vegeta's face in. He looked over to see it was Bulma who yelled this, spotting the uncertainty in her eyes. He narrowed his eyes in anger.

"Mom, why!? He killed Dad…and Trunks! Do you really think I'm gonna let him get away with that?!"

Bulma was shaking; it had been so long since she saw this kind of violence, it was almost like the first time all over again. Her breathing slowed to almost nothing as she stepped forward, causing Goten to back away as though her energy was overpowering his own.

"Goten…" she began, looking down at Vegeta, "Hasn't your father taught you anything? He always said to not hit an opponent while they're down. Show mercy. What goes around comes around." Her eyes shifted to Goku's youngest son, "Sound familiar?"

"Y-yeah, but…this is different! Vegeta just killed Dad! Dad would want me to avenge his death!" Goten yelled, hating himself when he felt tears brim his eyes. Though he was full grown now, he didn't want to go back to those times when he didn't have a father…he swore when Goku came back when he was seven that he would never let him go again…

Bulma heard the pain in Goten's voice, making her scared of her own voice once she spoke again.

"Vegeta…I'm sure you know that I'm just going to collect the dragon balls to wish Goku back. Along with Trunks. I hope…I hope you realize what you did. You made the past happen again…during the fight with Cell…Trunks and Goku died during that battle, too." Bulma stopped, her voice cracking at the last words. She swallowed when Vegeta looked up at her, not putting a word in for himself.

"I'm going to let you go now…because I know it'll be what Goku would want. But once we bring him back, he will want to find you. You might have caught him off guard this time with your new strength or whatever you did to defeat him, but you know that Goku will have no mercy on you next time. It'll still be a fair fight…but next time…Goku will win."

Everyone got quiet. Bra cautiously took multiple steps forward the more Bulma's speech went on; Goten managed to find the will power inside to power down; Pan was finally recovering from the blow to her gut. Finally, Vegeta smirked.

"I have resided on the planet Eslia. I defeated the ruler many years ago and took the throne to be prince of my own planet once again. It is in the west galaxy…nowhere near Earth." Talking was obviously making Vegeta weaker, but he had to tell her this…the thought of defeating Kakarot again was too thrilling to pass up.

"I'll let him know," Bulma finalized, just then looking up to his ship, "I take it you have a rejuvenation chamber in there?"

Vegeta chuckled with pride, coughing hard when his ribs didn't agree with the gesture, "You know I do."

She turned to Goten and Pan, who got herself together and was standing beside him, "Go get Gohan and Uub and bring them back here. I'll get the chamber in Capsule Corp. prepared for them." She hoped they still worked; she didn't have to use those things in years, always hoping she would never have to resort to them again.

Goten looked down at Vegeta, "But what about—."

_"GO!"_ Bulma yelled, not wanting to discuss it anymore. Suddenly realizing they had no place to defy her any longer, Goten and Pan nodded before taking off in the direction to recover the fallen warriors.

Watching them disappear before looking back down at Vegeta, Bulma stated the last thing she wanted to say to him, "I don't know why you felt the need to do this, Vegeta, but then again…I guess I never did understand the things you did."

From where Bra was standing, the scene before her almost made it look like it was her mother that defeated Vegeta. Her fists her clenched at her sides, her stance and voice even and confident. Vegeta stared up at her with no intention of hurting her in his eyes, the look of calm and understanding there instead.

"I'm not going to help you into your ship. If you can't get up, tough. Just lay there then. It'll be easier for Goku to find you when he comes back," and with that, she turned her back on the Saiyan Prince and walked toward Capsule Corp., her full focus on getting the rejuvenation chambers up and running.

Bra watched her disappear inside their house before turning back to Vegeta. It didn't seem like he noticed her standing there, his gaze to the sky. She half expected him to just get up and walk inside his ship and fly into the sky as fast as he appeared. She saw him holding his stomach and assumed he had broken ribs, which would make it almost impossible for him to move in his position.

Without another thought, she turned on her heel and ran inside.

* * * * * * * *

_I didn't know how I handled that the way I did. I never handled anything like that before in my life. I was never so empty that I was calm. Hearing him say that he killed Trunks and Goku hurt…it hurt just as bad as it did when Vegeta delivered me the same news when Trunks was only one years old and crying in my arms. Even though I knew it was possible to bring them back…maybe that's what allowed me to keep my composure._

_But I couldn't shake the sound of Vegeta's voice as he told me he killed Trunks. It let me know he still had some good in him…he had to, to sound so pained at the thought of his son's death. And although he never met Bra before, future or present, he let her go after I told him she was his. With all the things Vegeta ever did, I learned to never put anything past him. I was scared the first time he left me, but thinking about him leaving again very soon seemed just as bad. I wasn't sure why…_

_My mixed emotions didn't allow me to cry as I made a few adjustments on the rejuvenation chambers, working as hard and as fast as I could so Gohan and Uub could get well soon._

_Gohan…how horrible it must have been for him to see violence like that all over again. Just when the poor boy thought all of that was behind us, Vegeta had to show his face again. I wished I could hold him and tell him everything was going to be all right like I did when he was younger…but such childish things were way past him, and besides, he had Videl for that now._

_But shame on me…shame on me for thinking everything would be as easy as Vegeta getting in his ship and leaving and us wishing Trunks and Goku back with the dragon balls._

_Shame on me…_

* * * * * * * *

It had been a couple hours since Goten and Pan brought back Gohan and Uub. They placed them in the chambers, only relaxing when they saw that they appeared to be working properly. Pan, Bulma, and Videl when she arrived home, refused to leave the injured warrior's sides and stayed in the rejuvenation room together, though Pan refused to say even a single word to Bulma. Goten stayed in the living room with Bra, thinking that she shouldn't be alone during this time. He tried talking to her multiple times, but finally gave up when he realized that she wasn't in the mood for conversation.

Dark had long ago settled, and Goten fell into an uneasy sleep on the couch. He trusted that Bra would stay there also, having not moved an inch the whole time he was awake.

Bra hardly seemed to notice one way or the other, if Goten was awake or not, but startled herself when her body quickly stood up. Slowly, almost robotically, her feet lead her to the window, her blue eyes gazing through the dark to see that Vegeta had yet to lift himself from the ground. Not knowing why, she quietly exited the house, closing the door silently behind her. She felt the warm summer air on her skin, blowing her long hair over her shoulder.

She took many steps toward the fallen Saiyan, wondering where she got the courage to even be anywhere near him. When he had her by the throat, she literally felt the life being suffocated out of her. Thoughts were incoherent and the bright lights that were flashing behind her open eyes were a dead giveaway.

She stopped when she was a mere step away from him. She almost expected him to be asleep, but his right eye was still open just enough to let her know that he wasn't. He slowly turned his head to the side upon seeing her green boots out of the corner of his eye.

"Why didn't you get up yet?" she asked quietly, wincing at how small her voice seemed.

Vegeta chuckled and looked back to the sky, "All my ribs are broken. Even if I managed to get up right now, I wouldn't be able to walk onto my ship."

Bra didn't understand how these fighters could say something like that so lightly. They were practically on the verge of death and they were as calm as though they were about to fall into a peaceful sleep.

"If you don't think you can do it now, what makes you think you'll be able to do it later?" she questioned, reaching a delicate hand up to put her hair behind her ear when it kept blowing in her face.

Vegeta looked at her again. Though he studied her earlier, he still couldn't believe how much she resembled Bulma. Her hair was the same brilliant color, her eyes held the same stubbornness, and her lips were just as full. Looking at her made him wonder if any man had any part in creating her.

When she thought that he wasn't going to answer her, she looked around quickly, not believing she was about to do what she was thinking. She folded her knees so she was kneeling next to him, her hand outstretched to him, "Do you need help?"

Vegeta's good eye widened, just as surprised as she was at the offer. He practically killed this girl earlier and now she wanted to help him? He could definitely tell that she was raised by Goku…no one else would be that generous. He turned his head away, nonetheless.

"No. I don't need help from some weak female who couldn't even—."

He stopped abruptly when she groaned loudly, "Really, what is it with you men and not wanting to take help from a girl? Is it really that unappealing?" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Vegeta's arm and wrapped it around her neck. She faltered a little at his weight, "All right, I'm not that strong, so…you're gonna have to help out a bit."

He thought about shoving her away. He thought about yelling at her to leave him be. But something about being touched by this girl stopped him from doing either. So as to not let the moment linger, he fastened his arm around her tighter and slowly pushed himself from the ground. As soon as he was on one knee, the pain in his abdomen was so powerful, it lurched his stomach as he puked up a lump of blood.

Bra looked away, thinking that that was just another reason she never liked fighting…the sight of blood just didn't sit well with her. Her first instinct was to let go of him and flinch away from the sight, but she forced herself to hold her ground and continue helping him into his ship. So, swallowing down her own stomach, she raised her shoulders a little more, "C'mon…it's only a couple feet away."

And with his left arm around his daughter's shoulders and his right arm wrapped around his torso, Vegeta and Bra made their way to the ship and up the ramp.

"Where is it?" Bra asked, but only got the answer when Vegeta began leading her to the left. When they stood in front of the control panel, Vegeta weakly entered in some data before the front of the rejuvenation chamber opened up to allow him to enter. Bra helped him inside, grimacing at the yelp of pain he emitted when he sat down, causing his ribs to shift uncomfortably.

"Sorry…" she whispered, thinking she could have put him down more gently. Though she had never personally witnessed one of these devices being used, she was Bulma's daughter, and it wasn't that hard for her to figure out. She grabbed the two top cords with a cushiony end and placed them on each of his temples.

As she took the time to hook him in properly, Vegeta watched her through his blurred vision. Could this girl really be his daughter? Though it was during a desperate time, he didn't think Bulma would lie about something like that. Not with so many other people around them. But then again, if it were true, she had been telling the lie to all of them for eighteen years when she told them she was Goku's daughter. So…how could he be so sure? And why did it even matter to him?

"There, I think that's the last one," Bra said, making his right eye roll toward her to see that accomplished grin that only Bulma possessed before her. He stared at her as she stepped back when the hatch began closing so the tank could fill up with water. Just as the water began to flow, he heard distant beeps from another control panel.

His eye widened. He had been so deep in his thoughts he didn't even think about telling her that his ship began on its own if the rejuvenation tank was activated! The breathing device that covered his mouth made it impossible for him to warn her and he was too weak to rip it off. The ship began shaking violently as it made preparations for takeoff. The last thing Vegeta saw before passing out was a horrified Bra as she got lifted from the ground and thrown roughly into the side of the ship from not having been strapped in.

They were off to the west galaxy.

**************

All right people. Bare with me here. I know much of all the galaxies besides the north were destroyed by Brolly (I think?), but I had to have Vegeta live in another galaxy to fit with the story. I'll explain the fight between Goku and Vegeta in the next chapter, so don't worry about yelling about why I had Goku get killed by Vegeta. I always have my reasons. Thanks for the reviews.


	4. Secrets Revealed

_**Just One Confession**_

_**III.**_

_When Goten awoke me in the middle of the night to tell me that Vegeta made his departure, I was not at all surprised that he managed to do it. But when Goten broke the news that he thought Bra had been kidnapped by Vegeta, I lost it. I let my fury get the best of me as I took it out on Goten for not keeping a proper eye on her. But then, after some reasoning, I had to push my anger aside. None of us suspected that Vegeta would even have the strength to try anything like that, let alone grabbing Bra of all people._

_I had planned on waiting until early morning to start the dragon ball search, but with Bra missing, I didn't want to waste another moment. I gave Goten the dragon radar, confident he would be the one that would be able to find all seven the fastest. Gohan and Uub were still recovering, and Pan wouldn't be as quick as Goten. For once, Goten didn't try to put up a fight with me about doing what I ask of him._

_The night came and went when I began wishing that I gave Goten some sort of device so I could reach him across the world to find out his progress. But as the sun began peaking over the horizon, the rejuvenation chambers began powering down to inform me that Gohan and Uub's healing was complete._

_* * * * * * * *_

"Daddy!" Pan yelled in joy as soon as the water drained and the hatch opened to leave Gohan wide open for Pan's arms. He was completely soaked, but she didn't seem to notice as she clung onto her father like a small child.

"Pan, go easy," Videl said softly through eyes rimmed with tears. Though she knew Gohan was completely healed, having had to see him floating in that tank all night was torture for her. Besides what happened during the Buu Era, she never seen her husband that badly injured. Even if they could bring him back with the dragon balls had he not made it, her heart still felt like it wouldn't be able to handle the shock.

Gohan smiled down at Pan, stroking his hand through her hair as he beckoned Videl to come to him with his other. Videl didn't even wait to be told before she rushed forward to be wrapped in Gohan's strong embrace also.

Bulma stared at them for a long moment, a small, sad smile playing on her lips. How badly she needed holding right now…and Goku was nowhere around at the time she really needed it. She heard the second hatch open and looked over to see Uub stepping out of the tank looking good as new. Her smile grew as she tried to forget about the three to her left. Though she never became too close to Uub, he was still one of Goku's best friends and was happy to see him well.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Bulma said with pain in her voice before wrapping the boy in her arms.

Uub looked down at her, his mouth open in astonishment. Slowly, almost oddly, he patted her back gently, "Thanks for helping me, Ms. Brief. I really appreciate it."

"Bulma."

Hearing her name coming from Gohan's lips made her let go of Uub and turn around to see Gohan free of Pan and Videl. He stood in his torn work clothes that looked absolutely ridiculous now that his wounds had healed. She thought about running to him also, but stopped abruptly when she saw the look in his eyes.

"Are the dragon balls found yet?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"Um…" she shook her head slowly, "No, I gave Goten the dragon radar about seven hours ago, so…maybe he'll be back soon."

"Pan just told me that Vegeta took Bra. Are you going to use the second wish to bring her back here?"

Bulma nodded, "Yes, but I'm not sure what our third wish will be…not that I really care. I just want Goku and my babies back."

Pan made an annoyed groaning sound from behind Gohan, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air, "Trunks and Bra should be the only ones you're worried about anyway, considering they're your only _real _family."

"Pan!" Videl chastised angrily, "Don't talk to your grandmother that way!"

"She's not my grandmother!" Pan yelled, avoiding looking at Bulma so she wouldn't have to see the hurt she was causing her, "I'm not sure who my real grandma is, but until I find out, I'm not accepting anyone as my real family!" She paused when no one responded right away, but continued with: "Except you and Daddy. You're the only two I know I'm related to for sure."

"You're acting like a brat, Pan…that's not how we raised you," this came from Gohan, making Pan look at him in astonishment for insulting her in such a way. Gohan had been watching Bulma's facial expression go from surprised, to angry, to painfully depressed. He understood why Pan might be confused on the whole situation, but he found it inexcusable for her to be saying such nasty things to Bulma, "Maybe if you let someone explain to you exactly what happened in the past, then maybe you won't be so judgmental."

Pan swallowed, realizing she did not like being on her dad's bad side one bit. But she held her own, narrowing her eyes as she argued back, "Well _maybe _if someone would hurry up and explain it to me, then _maybe_—."

"Pan!" Gohan stopped her, turning around to face his daughter finally, "When I was only thirteen, your grandfather, Goku, died to save the earth. My mother, Chi-Chi, couldn't take it and allowed herself to die after she had Goten. Bulma was thoughtful enough to take Goten and I in after we were left parentless, despite having a son of her own and Vegeta just leaving her."

As Gohan summed up years in a nutshell, Pan's eyes dilated slowly as she began to understand their lives and why her father never called Bulma by any other name. Videl's eyes also widened a bit, having finally heard the whole story herself for the first time.

Pan gave into her pride and finally looked at Bulma to see that she was smiling through her tears.

"And I would do it all over again if I had to," Bulma choked out, knowing this was the moment that she had been waiting for. Not everyone was around to hear the story, but since it was out in the open, it was only natural that it would get easier.

She just hoped that Vegeta didn't tell Bra a different story to corrupt her mind against her.

"So…what about Bra?" Pan asked, as though reading Bulma's mind.

Bulma closed her eyes to let the last of her tears fall, "Right after Goku left the earth again, Vegeta appeared in search of him. When he found out Goku wasn't here, he seemed really angry. Gohan came down to defend me, but I didn't want what happened yesterday, to happen then…especially with Goten and Trunks being so young. So…since Vegeta seemed so eager…I…I did the only thing I knew of to distract him…and then the next morning he was gone."

Videl blinked, "And that was the night Bra was conceived?"

Bulma nodded. Pan stepped forward, "And you and Grandpa never had any children of your own?"

Shaking her head, Bulma forced a smile, "No, I felt like I had enough kids to raise."

Everyone watched Pan to see how she would handle all this information. She became quiet, however, hardly making a move. So…she was related to everyone except Bulma, Bra, and Trunks? That didn't seem too bad on her part…at least she had an uncle, a grandfather, and knew both of her real parents. She subconsciously thought that she probably got the best end of the deal.

She raised her face to the ceiling, wishing she knew where Bra was at the moment and if she was all right…

*****

The air inside the spaceship was cool. Only the low hum coming from the engines was heard as the control system went into standby mode to conserve energy as it traveled through galaxies. It had been some time since Vegeta was seated in the rejuvenation chamber and he could feel his bones healing and his wounds closing. The chamber's panel began making low beeping sounds that came in ten second intervals. As the beeps started to become closer, he knew it was only a matter of seconds before the machine would recognize him as completely healed to exit the device.

_Beep…beep…beep…beep, beep, beep, beep_

He opened his eyes slowly to see the red light from the countdown button before the green one lit up to release the pressure of the chamber.

"Healing process complete," the panel informed him with a mechanical female voice.

As for Bra, she was suffering a serious headache as she began awakening. Last thing she remembered was that she got thrown into a wall, the blow to her head knocking her out cold. She groaned when she slowly opened her eyes, the bright light cot agreeing with her at all.

"Oh, what happened…?" she mumbled to herself, lifting a weak hand to her head as she tried to sit up. Once she managed that, she kept her eyes squeezed shut, not ready to welcome the headache just yet.

But when she heard footsteps coming toward her, it suddenly dawned on her that she wasn't in her house…or anywhere close. Her gaze made its way up past the legs and torso; she tried to back herself further against the wall when she saw that it was Vegeta that was standing before her.

"Oh crap, I got kidnapped!" she yelled, sounding exactly like a distressed Bulma. She continued to try to push herself more and more against the wall, her boots slipping on the smooth surface of the ship.

Vegeta merely gave a small "humph" before walking over to the control panel, curious to see how long he had been out and how close they were to reaching the west galaxy.

Bra didn't dare move as she watched him do this, "What…what are you going to do to me?" Her big eyes blinked when he didn't answer. Her eyebrows narrowed when she thought she was getting ignored, "Hey! I asked you a question, ya know!" Her new found anger forced her to stand, her hands out to her sides, "I go through all that trouble to help you into your ship and then you go and play a trick on me! How dare you, you—."

"Would you shut up?" Vegeta growled, becoming quickly aggravated. He looked over his shoulder at her, "I didn't kidnap you, nor did I trick you. My spaceship starts automatically when the rejuvenation chamber is activated to increase my safety level." He grunted and waved a hand back at her, "I don't even know why I'm explaining anything to you."

"Nor do I care how it happened! Are you going to take me back to Earth, or what?" she crossed her arms, showing how serious she was. Hearing the demanding tone in her voice, Vegeta turned around to warn her of her place. However, as he spotted her with her sharp eyes narrowed and her arms crossed as such, it reminded him…of himself. He blinked, the realization that this was his daughter hitting him head on for the first time since he met her.

Seeing the look of astonishment on his face made her stance falter. She lowered her arms to her sides, her eyes losing their threatening stare to that of curiosity. He was…studying her. That much was obvious. It wasn't in a way that made her feel uncomfortable, in fact, she felt completely at ease. Bra didn't dare make a move, feeling almost afraid that he would look away if she did. There was something telling her that she wanted him to know all about her in that moment.

Because…because she wanted to know about him as well. She remembered Goku telling her many years ago that since she was half Saiyan, her thoughts and emotions would be able to pick up on other people's thoughts and emotions. If she felt like she knew something, if something was different, if something was wrong, if something was right…then that was her strong instincts kicking in. Bulma simply told her that it was nothing more than woman's intuition. Whatever it was, Bra felt she had no reason to be threatened by Vegeta.

"Vegeta…?" she heard his name leave her lips, snapping them both out of their reverence.

He blinked twice, wondering what came over him. He turned back to the control panel, "It'll be almost impossible to take you back right now. We're almost in the west galaxy and we wouldn't have enough fuel for me to take you all the way back to Earth and for me to start my trip over again. Earth doesn't hold the type of fuel I would need to power this thing."

For some reason, this didn't bother her. She forced a smile, "That's…that's okay. When my mom and the others collect the dragon balls to wish my dad and Trunks back, they'll make the second wish to wish me back to Earth."

"Good thinking," Vegeta said plainly, as though she said nothing more significant than what she would be having for breakfast.

Bra gave his back a questioning look, wondering why the moment seemed so…odd. Here she was, talking about her family making a wish that would undo everything he just did, and he didn't even seem to care. She wasn't sure if it was wise to ask, but since she figured she had nothing to lose at this point, tested the waters, "So why did you kill my dad and Trunks anyway?"

Vegeta didn't answer right away. His hands stopped moving over the control panel. Bra waited several moments before she was about to dismiss the question.

"Never mind, you—."

"I didn't mean to kill that dimwit you call a brother," Vegeta forced out, not turning around to face her, "Instead of just letting me finish off Kakarot with that shot, he stepped in the way like an idiot."

"Kakarot? Oh, you mean my dad?" Bra asked, wincing when she realized that was probably the wrong thing she should be commenting on.

"Yeah, whatever…" Vegeta mumbled, not wishing to go into that subject, "Anyway, I always swore I would defeat Kakarot and when I saw the opportunity…I took it without thinking."

Bra looked to her left to see a couple seats next to each other. With her head still hurting a bit, she walked to them and took a seat in the closest one, "Without thinking?" She placed her arms comfortably on the armrests, sitting with her back straight and her legs crossed, "But if you always wanted to do it, how would it be without thinking?"

"I was—," Vegeta cut himself off before he could continue. He turned around to look at her again, surprised she was no longer standing. The way she presented herself in that sitting position of hers reminded him of loyalty…as though he were presenting himself to a queen.

Bra raised an eyebrow, curious as to why he kept staring at her like that, "You were what?"

He snapped himself out of it faster than the first time he became somewhat mesmerized with her. He waved his hand, "Nothing."

"Tell me!" Bra suddenly yelled, just as surprised as he when her voice screamed with authority.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, "You are in no position to give me orders!"

"Yeah, but we're gonna be stuck here together for awhile, so you might as well talk to me!" Bra shot back, her fist pounding on the armrest.

"I can go days without talking," he responded, walking to the side of the ship before sliding down to the floor. He didn't want to sit in the chair next to hers, and if he at least attempted to look like he was trying to take a nap, he figured she would leave him alone.

"Well, I can't!" she said, watching him sink to the floor, "And besides…that just sounds lonely. I guess it's good you don't even talk to yourself when you're alone, but while I'm here, why not make the best of it before you vow silence again?"

Vegeta rested his head against the wall, "There's nothing to talk about."

"Sure there is," Bra began, smiling at the thought of bringing up a conversation, "We were just talking about something a moment ago. You were about to tell me why you came to Earth to kill my dad without thinking, though apparently you've been thinking about it for years. Why didn't you show up a long time ago?"

"I did, but he was no longer there the first time."

"The first time?"

"I was still in the north galaxy and sensed his presence on Earth. But when I arrived there, your mother informed me that he was still dead."

"But when you came back this time…?"

"I began my life in the west galaxy and couldn't feel his energy from another galaxy so there was no way of me to know he had come back."

"So what made you come back to the north galaxy in the first place then?"

"I…" Vegeta trailed off, just then realizing this girl was actually getting him to talk. Upon this realization, he turned his head to the side, "None of your business."

Bra narrowed her eyes again, having to stand up from her sudden anger, "Oh, come on! You were doing so good!"

"Why are you so interested anyway?!" Vegeta barked back. He went from having both knees pulled up to his chest to his left leg sliding out.

"Because not twenty-four hours ago, I was told that you are my real father! Excuse me for being so curious about…" she thought about saying "you" but quickly turned it into: "…everything…"

Vegeta looked from the floor, to her, back to the floor, back to her. He wanted to ignore her. He wanted to snap the side of his hand to the back of her neck to quiet her. He wanted to have nothing more to do with her. He wanted to pretend he never laid eyes on her, never met her. He wanted her to forget she was ever told that he was her father.

"I came back to make sure your mother was okay."

Bra blinked, the silence between her question and his answer making her almost forget what the question actually was. It didn't take her long to remember, however, making her eyes soften at the man that refused to look at her any longer. Her legs felt shaky, but instead of sitting back in the chair, she closed the short distance between them and sat down next to him on the floor, her legs pulled up to her chest.

"She…was okay until you showed up," the words she used should have sounded harsh, but they held nothing but a sad curiosity. She brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at him through the corner of her eye.

"I realize this."

She bit her bottom lip gently, wondering about the boundaries she was beginning to cross into, "Were you…mad that she was okay?"

Vegeta closed his eyes and tilted his head back, "I was mad that…she was okay because of Kakarot."

Her heartbeat quickened. Was he really telling her all this…just straight out like this? Was he hinting around what she suspected? Though she hadn't been too afraid of asking him anything up until this point, the question that lingered on her tongue now seemed too…personal for her to go prying into.

"Do you…" she felt the words beginning to form. The ship suddenly seemed too quiet when it seemed like her voice was echoing despite how low she was talking. As the last words left her mouth, her skin turned to fire and her arms and legs went numb.

"Love her…?"

Vegeta didn't open his eyes right away. He allowed a couple seconds to pass before opening them and standing up as though he had just awoken from a nap. He ignored her penetrating gaze as he walked over to another wall, pressing a button to cause a door to slide open. He needed a shower.

As the door closed behind him, leaving Bra in the control room by herself, she couldn't stop the millions of questions that continued to swim through her mind.

*******************

Hey everyone! Well, is the story going a little differently than what you expected? Yes, I am going to be going back and forth between people, going from down on earth to where Vegeta and Bra are. Also, I'm adding a little twist involving Vegeta's motives and all that jazz. Like I said at the beginning of my story, I don't like Vegeta being the "bad" guy, and also like I mentioned, I never write anything without a reason. I'll be having a lot more stuff happening in the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews!


	5. Denied Wishes

_**Just One Confession**_

_**IV.**_

_I was so relieved when Goten came back with all seven dragon balls in record time. I was going insane sitting around the house, not knowing what to do in the meantime. Uub had left for some reason, I'm sure he told me, but I wasn't listening. Videl continued talking to Pan, trying to make her understand why my secret was kept from her all her life. I don't know what kind of excuse Videl came up with for me, but I'm sure it was better than anything I could have said._

_Gohan began telling me of the fight between Goku and Vegeta. He explained that he, Uub, and Trunks began fighting Vegeta first, hoping it wouldn't even have to come down to the ultimate battle. Apparently, Vegeta hadn't been just taking it easy all these years; he had gotten much stronger. He said that Vegeta wasn't lying when he said he accidentally killed Trunks, for there was no way to stop the blast about time he realized it was Trunks he was aiming at._

_What got me curious was when Gohan said that he thought Goku died on purpose. He said Goku telepathically told him that if he let Vegeta kill him, that he might leave the earth again without harming anyone else. He didn't want to have to kill Vegeta, so he died instead knowing that we would bring him back with the dragon balls. I was glad to hear that Vegeta really wasn't stronger than Goku._

_So anyway, back to those wishes…_

_* * * * * * * *_

All seven dragon balls lay before Bulma, Gohan, Videl, Pan, and Goten. They glowed brightly at their reunion, waiting for their master to be summoned to grant the wishes of those that called to him.

Bulma shook, still not used to the dragon's presence, "Rise Shenron, and grant our wishes!"

Besides Gohan and herself, none of the others had witnessed first hand what it was like to be in front of the large green dragon with eyes that could easily be mistaken as evil. But as his body rose up from the dragon balls, his tail still attached to their power on the ground, they all stared up at him with wonder and respect.

"You have summoned me," Shenron began, his voice just as deep and demanding as ever, "You have three wishes. Make your first one now."

Gohan stepped forward, "I wish for Goku and Trunks to be brought back to life!"

Shenron made a loud, monstrous sound as his eyes became brighter for a quick moment. It didn't take long for his eyes to return to normal as he told them that their wish had been granted.

Pan looked around, "But…I don't see them anywhere…"

"Give them time," Gohan told her.

"What is your second wish?"

Bulma spoke up this time, "Shenron, Vegeta took my daughter, Bra, into space. I wish for her to return to Earth!"

Shenron's eyes glowed brightly.

*****

Vegeta had returned to the control room after his shower, wearing fresh clothing and armor. He saw that Bra had yet to move from her spot on the floor, looking just as she had when he left her.

"You're not still thinking about all that shit, are you?" he asked, almost wishing she was babbling insistently instead of just sitting there like that.

She finally looked up at him, "I—."

"Bra."

The voice that abruptly called out her name made her jump to her feet with a quickness, her wide eyes searching around the ship. When she looked at Vegeta, he saw that he looked just as alarmed.

"Who…what was that?!" she yelled, sure they couldn't both be losing their minds.

"My name is Shenron. The dragon balls have been collected and a wish has been made to return you to the planet Earth. Do you consent to this wish?"

Her first instinct was to yell how insane that sounded that some dragon would be talking to her, but she stopped herself with a quirk of an eyebrow, "Huh? You mean you have to ask me if I agree with it before you can just do it?"

"Yes, now answer the question."

"Well, of cour—!" she stopped when she saw that Vegeta was staring at her with that penetrating gaze of his. It seemed to her like he was getting his last look at her and wanted to remember everything about her. Her heart dropped in her stomach when she watched his eyes close before he turned his back on her to look out the small, circular window.

"Answer me!"

"No," she heard the word leave her mouth the second the dragon demanded she answer.

"_What?!" _Vegeta spun on his heel when he heard her say this, his eyes wide with shock and horror.

Bra was almost expecting the dragon to say something else, but when no other sound was heard, she crossed her arms, smirking proudly at Vegeta, "You're stuck with me now."

*****

"Your wish cannot be granted."

"_What?!" _All of them screamed from the ground.

Bulma's heart beat wildly in her chest, "But...but why, Shenron!?"

"The one you speak of does not consent to the wish. I cannot grant the wish if the party does not want to return."

Bulma's eyes widened. She remembered Shenron telling them something like that when they all tried to wish Goku back to Earth, but he refused. But why would Bra refuse the dragon's offer?

Bulma turned to Gohan, terror in her voice, "You don't think Vegeta forced her to stay, do you?!"

Gohan looked just as surprised at her, "I…don't see any other reason why she would…" Since Bulma looked too worried to suddenly think, Gohan thought quick before voicing his next wish, "Shenron, I wish for me and Goku to be transported on the ship that Vegeta and Bra are on!"

Bulma snapped her fingers, "Good idea, Gohan! And then I'll wish you guys back here once you get her!"

Gohan nodded, the plan sounding perfect.

"Your wish cannot be granted."

"Oh, now what?!" Pan yelled, getting annoyed that the dragon was denying all their wishes when she always heard that he could grant almost anything.

"The ship they are on has just entered into the west galaxy. I cannot grant a wish that succeeds my creator's abilities. His abilities only go as far as the north galaxy."

They were all speechless.

"Make another wish."

Bulma's voice was shaky as she began, feeling more and more hopeless, "Shenron, please…I wish for a spaceship like Vegeta's…one that will have the durability and speed to travel to the west galaxy."

They all held their breath as Shenron's eyes became bright. Would he say that it could not be done again? When they saw an object appear beside them, first glowing with a white light, then fading to reveal a spaceship, they all jumped in the air with joy.

"This will save me tons of time from having to build one myself," Bulma commented enthusiastically, glad she wouldn't have to work under pressure like she first feared.

"Your wish has been granted. What is your third wish?"

They all looked at each other.

"Have any ideas?" Gohan looked around at all of them.

As all of them went into deep thought, Pan's eyes became wide with excitement, "Hey, I bet Shenron didn't stock up the spaceship…ya know, with lots of really good food and stuff like that?"

Bulma laughed, "You sounded just like your grandfather with that comment."

Gohan smiled, "Well, I guess if we can't think of anything else…"

*****

"What were you thinking?!" Vegeta yelled at Bra in anger, his fists clenched, "You had your chance to return to Earth and you just turned it down like that?! What makes you so sure that I'll even want to return you myself after we refuel on Eslia!?"

Bra shrugged. She was just as confused with her refusal as he was, but didn't want to show it. She went to the chair she had been sitting in earlier and flopped down, "Guess I'll just have to take my chances, huh?"

Vegeta gritted his teeth at what he thought was her stupidity, "You… imprudent earthling! Are you purposely trying to waste my time!?"

Bra narrowed her eyes at this question. She stood back up, walking quickly over to Vegeta with her hands on her hips, "No, I just didn't get the whole story out of you yet! How am I supposed to leave with only what you've told me so far?! It'll be like watching a horrible ending to a movie that had potential!"

"Ugh, what a stupid analogy!" He turned away from her again, fuming, "Well, you're out of luck both ways, Princess. You're stuck with me, but I'm done talking. Get used to the silence."

"Hey, no way!" Bra reached out and grabbed the back of his armor, refusing to let him ignore her, "I won't shut up 'til I'm dead!"

Angered by the fact that she dared touch any part of him, he smacked her hand away when he twirled back to her. She seemed startled at the sudden change in him, holding her hand close to her chest when she saw that he was done arguing with her.

"That can be arranged! Just because I didn't kill you on Earth doesn't mean I won't do it up here! I can tear your heart from your chest and eat it for lunch as I dispose the rest of your lifeless body out the shit hole!" Every step he took towards her made her take a step back. The fear in her eyes were equal to when he had his hand wrapped around her throat.

When he had her backed against the wall, she trembled as she wondered whether or not her mother made any other wish yet and if she would know to bring her back to life. She remembered hearing that the dragon balls turned to stone for one year after wishes were made. She didn't want to wait a whole year to be brought back! To think of all the things she would miss out on if she were gone…going to college with Pan, being the maid of honor in Goten's wedding like he promised, starting a relationship of her own…

"Unbelievable!" Vegeta yelled, snapping her out of her thoughts. She cocked her head to the side when he walked away without laying a finger on her.

*****

As soon as Shenron granted their last wish, he quickly became one with the dragon balls again. The balls floated up into the air, turning white in an instant, and then scattering to multiple ends of the earth. As soon as the sky returned to normal, Goku and Trunks landed in front of the group.

"Go—," Bulma began, but was interrupted by an enthusiastically loud Pan.

"Grandpa!" the young girl screamed, laughing as she rushed to him, feeling like nothing more than a small animal as she got wrapped up in his strong arms.

Bulma smiled anyway, her eyes turning to Trunks. Before he even got a chance to say a word to her, her small, fragile arms were around her son's shoulders, "Oh, Baby…I'm so glad you're okay. I missed you so much!"

Trunks closed his eye when Bulma placed a kiss over it, a blush lighting up his cheeks when he noticed Goten standing right beside them. The younger man pointed and laughed, the competition of who was more of a Mama's Boy between them still just as strong as when they were young.

"Mom…c'mon, I wasn't even gone that long…" Trunks said quietly, though didn't make any moves to remove her from him.

"It was long enough for me," she argued for herself, but backed away from him anyway so Goten wouldn't give him too hard of a time. She looked over to see that Pan let Goku go. Her smile grew as she walked up to the love of her life.

"Goku…" hearing her voice saying his name brought chills down her spine. Trunks was right; it hadn't even been a full day since they were gone, but with so much of her life spent without Goku, she swore she wouldn't live another hour without him if she didn't have to. When her small fingers clutched the material of his gi, she brought her face to his chest, breathing in his scent. She felt him lean over slightly when he brought his arms around her, resting his cheek atop her head.

"I told Trunks I'm not his real father," Goku said, though not in the tone that he would normally use. It sounded slightly strained.

Hearing this, Bulma lifted her head from his chest and looked up. His eyes were just as big, just as loving, but there seemed to be a slight difference…a momentary sadness maybe. He still smiled at her, though it didn't quite hit home.

"And I guess I'm not Bra's either," he ran a single finger through her short hair as though he just confessed his love to her.

"Goku, I…" her eyes watered knowing that she, the one person that loved him for e_verything _that he was, hurt him in a way he could never get hurt on the battlefield.

Goku held his smile anyway, "You know you could've trusted me, Bulma," he chuckled gently, "I'm not mad at you."

"You're…you're not?" she sniffed, suddenly feeling very childish and hoped that none of the others were watching them too closely.

"Of course not! I'm Goku, remember?" Bulma eyed him as he walked around her to check out the spaceship. Goten caught up with him, waving his arms around as he went into detail about what happened with Bra and the dragon.

Bulma reached out a hand, knowing full well that even if he wasn't mad, he was still pained. Whether it was more from finding out that Bra really wasn't his, or the fact that she kept that little detail from him all these years, she wasn't sure. Both sounded equally as horrible.

She felt a strong hand on her shoulder, stopping her before she could run over to Goku and tell him every reason in the world why she was sorry. Looking over, she saw that it was Gohan that stopped her. He shook his head.

"Just give him some time, Bulma…you know he'll come around," Gohan told her with a confident smile. Despite how he seemed the same to everyone else, the two of them spotted the slight lack of enthusiasm he usually possessed.

Nodding, she folded her arms over her stomach, feeling insecure and small, "I know…it's just…"

"Bulma, no one hates you," Gohan said, never releasing her shoulder, "Pan may have been a little confused with it all at first, but look…everyone's still talking to you…no one's even criticizing you for anything."

She smiled at him sadly, "That's because they know you do enough of that."

Gohan laughed at her joke, "Well, maybe so, but wouldn't you rather have it that way?"

"Always…" she responded as she thought about all the times Gohan kept her grounded.

"All right, guys!" Bulma and Gohan looked up to see Goku with his fists clenched in excited anticipation. He was grinning, though his eyes were nothing but serious, "I'm heading off to Eslia…and Goten and Trunks are coming with me!"

*****************

Hey everyone! Well, it seems like I'll be getting more into the action side of this story now. Anyone see where this is going yet? Oh yeah, and I believe that Dende did allow the dragon to grant three wishes opposed to one after the Buu saga, right? I'm serious, it's been so long since I watched the actual series, I'm going off of fuzzy memories half the time. Oh, and along with some action comin', I promise some romance in the next chapter too. I'm kinda getting' that itch for it, ya know? ^^ Thanks for the reviews.


	6. Premature Liftoff

_**Just One Confession**_

_**V.**_

_And so preparations for getting them into space commenced. Pan was quick to show her despair over not being able to go with Goku, but Videl kept telling her that it was too dangerous for her. Of course, hearing this only made her want to go even more to prove her mother wrong._

_Shenron stocked the ship with food, toiletries, and other useful items, but we still had to get the clothes they would need onboard, and Trunks and I had to configure the control system that would take them to the west galaxy. Getting everything together reminded me of the time Krillin, Gohan, and I went to Namek all those years ago. Ah, what a pleasant…horrible time._

_After I was confident that Trunks had everything under control, I walked through the ship to the room that was to be Goku's, walking in on him doing handstand push-ups. Pan was in there also, no doubt trying to get in a few last minute training techniques from him before he left. When she saw me, however, she didn't hesitate to get to her feet and walk out of the room, mumbling how she should leave us alone for a little. I knew she was still a little mad at me…but I assumed we would get close again during the time Goku, Goten, and Trunks were away._

_* * * * * * * *_

"But why do _I _have to go?!" Goten yelled at Gohan, both of them in Goten's bedroom. Gohan had been telling Goten to pack for the last half hour, but finally decided to do it for him since Goten refused to.

"Because you're the only other one besides Trunks that's best qualified to go with Dad, Goten," Gohan was getting tired of explaining this to the man that was complaining like a ten-year-old.

Goten pointed at Gohan, "But what about you? You're way stronger than me and Trunks combined…why don't you go?"

Gohan sighed, "Don't insult your power levels like that…you can be just as strong as me when you put your mind to it," he paused before continuing, "Besides, I have a wife and daughter to take care of."

"C'mon, Gohan, that's a lame excuse! Pan's eighteen now and Videl's no pushover! They'll be fine! _I'll _take care of them if you're really that worried!"

Gohan finally stopped packing and looked at his younger brother. He just couldn't understand why he was making such a big deal over leaving with Trunks and Goku. Sure, he knew that Goten was getting serious with Paresu, but he still only saw that girl three or four times a week. He didn't think Goten would mind leaving her behind for a week…two, at max.

"Why are you complaining so much, Goten? Trunks isn't complaining…and besides, don't you want to rescue Bra?"

Goten crossed his arms and looked away, "That's because Bra's his _real _sister…of course he's not complaining about going."

"Goten!" Gohan yelled, suddenly outraged at hearing the words coming from Goten's mouth, "Just because you just found out that you're not directly related to Bra is no excuse for you to all of a sudden deny her! Nothing has changed; we're all just as much of a family as we've always been!"

Hearing no response coming from his little brother, Gohan hoped he got through to him. He never thought that Goten would take Trunks's position as the "problem child".

*****

Outside in the spaceship, Goku had yet to come out of his handstand, even when Bulma sat down on his bed. She watched him for a few minutes, simply enjoying being in his presence and watching as his muscles rippled over themselves every time he lowered and raised himself with his pushups.

He was counting aloud, but stopped when he let his neck drop so he was looking behind him, looking at Bulma upside down. He grinned when she giggled softly.

"Oh Goku…you look so cute like that," it made her almost sound like a sixteen year old schoolgirl again.

"Heh, you look cute upside down, too," Goku commented, missing Bulma's blush when he stiffened his neck to look at the ground again. He did a few more pushups before gracefully lowering his legs so come to a perfect stance in front of her. He put his hands on his hips, tilting his neck from side to side.

Bulma kept her spot on his bed, looking up at him with a hopeful sparkle in her eyes, "Are you excited to travel into space again?"

He nodded, "Oh yeah! And I'll be traveling much further this time, so it'll be even better! And don't you worry, Bulma…I'll bring Bra back safely."

Bulma smiled softly, her eyes shifting to the floor, "I know you will, Goku, I'm not worried about that at all."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"Who says I'm worried at all?"

"I do. I can tell," When she didn't respond, Goku sat down on the bed next to her, offering her a huge smile, "But stop it, okay? It's not healthy…and it'll only give you more wrinkles."

This made her look at him again, her fists clenched and her eyes narrowed with anger, "What do you mean by _more _wrinkles?!" She only became more outraged when Goku laughed, "Are you saying I look _old?!"_

Goku continued to laugh, but held up his hands in defense, "I was just kidding, Bulma. You look beautiful for your age."

"_For my age?!" _Bulma continued to fume, standing up when she didn't want to sit beside him any longer, "So you're saying that I look okay for sixty, but I'm not a sexy young thing anymore?!"

Goku slowed down his laughter, reaching out for her hands. He had to settle for her fists instead of entwining their fingers like she usually loved to do, "For one, I didn't say _okay…_I said _beautiful_. And two, you're not young anymore, so why are you trying to be something you're not?" When this didn't seem to get her calmed down, he made a quick decision to pull her arm gently so she would fall into his lap. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to get out of his hold, she merely crossed her arms and looked away.

"I told you a long time ago that I love you the way you are…and that even includes your body getting older. Why are you so ashamed of being human?" The question caught her off guard. She finally gave in and looked into the boyish face of her love, knowing that he was the reason she hated being human. Her hand brushed a few strands of his hair from his forehead, her eyes softening.

"Because you're not growing old with me," she answered, knowing he probably still had decades left on his life.

Though it sounded like a terribly depressing statement, his grin only grew, "Yeah, but you'll live on in Trunks and Bra…and even Gohan, Goten, and Pan. You're apart of all of them and I know I could never miss you when you'll always be everywhere around me."

Bulma's eyes watered. Even after all these years, she couldn't understand for the life of her how Goku managed to be so positive. That answer may have seemed acceptable to him, and though it was sweet of him to say it, rather he knew it was sweet or not, the concept still made her miserable. To her, he would be able to live long enough to see their kids grow even older and have kids of their own…and then maybe even those kids having kids. She, however, would not get to see all that.

Instead of arguing anymore about it, she placed her hands on either side of his face, wondering if he really saw her in the way his eyes were betraying. She finally smiled when she saw that his was not about to falter one bit.

_What did I ever do to deserve someone so great…_She leaned in and pressed her lips to his forehead, to his eyes, to his lips when she finally got his head to tilt upward. _How I'm going to miss him while he's gone._ Her arms snaked around his neck, pressing her body closer to his when his arms held her just a little tighter. Moaning softly in desperation and sorrow, she held out her one hand instinctively when Goku leaned back to lie on the bed, continuing to hold her atop him.

*****

"Hey-o, Trunks!" Pan yelled when she entered the control room, grinning at the man that was still at the control station.

He didn't even look up at her, "Hey, Pan."

"What are ya doing?" she stood on her tiptoes as she tried to peer over his shoulder, being her normal, nosy self.

"Just finishing up entering in the last bit of information we'll need," and to show that he wasn't kidding, he shut a little panel. Seconds later, a lot of yellow lights came on, a low humming noise filling the area. "Now we just have to wait a little bit longer for the ship to warm up and we'll be good to go."

Pan nodded, grinning sheepishly, "Everything looks really good, Trunks," she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to keep most of her attention on all the lights, "You sure you have everything you want on the ship?"

"I think so…" he raised an eyebrow at her, knowing she was up to something, "But I guess…I should go double check to make sure." As he was leaving the main room, he looked over his shoulder, "Don't touch anything, Pan. Okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Like I even know what any of the buttons do anyway," she waved him off.

Trunks rolled his eyes but continued on his way to his bedroom, "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of…"

It wasn't until she knew for certain that Trunks was gone that she turned back to the control panels, a deviant glint in her eyes. Sure, she wasn't lying when she said she didn't know what any of the buttons did, but she was pretty sure that big green one right in the center was the one that would make the ship liftoff. And she only had one chance…

Her finger lingered above the button, her hand suddenly shaking. Though her palms were covered by her fingerless gloves, her hand felt cold and lifeless. She could get in big trouble for this…but she wanted to go to space with Goku so bad! How could her parents tell her that it was too dangerous for her? Her!? The strongest female the earth has ever seen!

She knew Trunks said that the ship needed sometime to warm up, but…if she waited any longer, someone else was bound to come in and stop her! She would not let that happen!

With a final thought and prayer, her finger bent to the pressure of the button as it was pushed down. Right away, the ship began mumbling and groaning, the shaking causing her to almost lose her balance.

"Pan!" she heard Trunks yell from down the hall, her eyes widening at how close he sounded. She flew over to the door, pressing the button on the side to slide the door closed. She noticed that a button below the one she just pressed said "LOCK" and quickly pressed that as well, hoping it would keep Trunks out long enough to get them into space.

She heard the beeping of the button on the other side of the door as Trunks tried continuously to open the door from the outside.

"Pan, what the…I knew you couldn't be trusted!" Trunks yelled, banging on the door insistently. He thought about blasting it down, but didn't want to risk damaging any of the controls on the other side. If he broke or destroyed anything in the control room, who knows how long it would take to get it repaired and that would mean holding off on Bra's rescue.

Pan crossed her arms stubbornly, "Me? You told me you would talk to my dad about letting me go!"

Trunks groaned, "I said I would _try, _Pan! But you know Gohan, if he—."

"What's going on?!" Goku asked as he came running up to Trunks, his feet spread to keep his balance, "Why are we leaving already?"

Trunks pointed to the locked door with his thumb, "Your precious granddaughter thought it would be cute to leave now."

"How can you even use the word _cute _in this situation?!" Pan yelled through the locked door, "I'm pretty sure the word you're looking for is _genius."_

"Oh, no, no, no! I don't want to leave Earth again! It's going to be like Namek all over again!"

Upon hearing Bulma scream this, Pan uncrossed her arms and stared with wide eyes at the door, as though she could see the woman standing right before her, "Grandma?" She thought Bulma would have left the ship by now! She didn't think that she would take that long to say her farewells to Goku! Pan didn't feel the least bit worried when she first thought that it was just her, Trunks, and Goku onboard…but she didn't know how well Bulma would fare.

Instead of doing the logical thing and unlocking the door for Trunks to come in, Pan ran back to the control panel, looking at all the buttons. Nothing was labeled and lights were blinking erratically, causing her to panic. She couldn't just press any button! Before she could even consider guessing, however, the ship made another jolt, sending her off her feet. The ship was leaving the ground.

*****

Gohan, Goten, and Videl ran outside to see what all the noise was about, their eyes widening when they saw the spaceship quickly being lifted. In one swift moment, the ship was well past the trees and shooting up into space at lightning speed.

They all stared, stupefied at what just happened.

Finally, Goten chuckled and put a hand behind his head, "Guess this means they didn't want me to go after all, huh?"

Gohan glared at him, not liking the idea as much as Goten, "I have a feeling that liftoff was premature…someone pressed the wrong button." His eyes widened at the sudden thought of Bulma telling him she was going to go on the ship to say goodbye to Trunks and Goku, "Oh no, I think Bulma's on that thing!"

"Gohan…" Videl spoke up, her voice light. When her husband looked at her, she wrung her hands together, "Where's Pan?"

*****

"Wow…so this is the west galaxy, huh?" Bra swooned as she pressed her face against the cool window, watching planets and stars come and go.

"What do you mean 'wow'?" Vegeta asked, still slightly annoyed that she was still in his company, "It looks exactly like the north galaxy."

Bra whirled around with her eyes narrowed, "Well, _excuse me, _I've never even been into space before! I want to be in aw for awhile!"

Vegeta made an annoyed grunting noise as he leaned against the control panel, his arms crossed. Though his smirk should have held nothing but an evil underlie to it, Bra spotted amusement, "You'll be in aw when I open up the hatch and make you float in all that space."

Thinking that she should have felt offended, Bra was surprised when she matched his look, "Oh yeah? Well, I've been known to have a grip of steel so if I go out there, you go with me."

"You may think you're tough," Vegeta began, "But if you compare yours to steel, then mine is buckypaper."

Bra stared at him incredulously for a long moment. Before she could stop it, a small laugh escaped her lips. She covered her mouth with one finger, her opposite hand holding her elbow, "What? How do you even know about buckypaper?"

He glared, not appreciating her laugh, "I lived with your mother for three and a half years…I learned of a lot of crazy, scientific shit like that. She was always working with different materials to get her projects working."

Holding her smile, Bra lowered her finger to stare at Vegeta with a genuine softness. Though he had his life out in space where he was supposedly the king of his own planet, he spoke of his time on Earth with Bulma as though it was the highlight of his existence. And though she had only spent a few more hours with him since they left Earth and entered the west galaxy, he was quickly breaking down his barriers with her. She was sure he knew exactly what he was saying and the depth of it, and she quickly learned to not act overly interested. It was the only thing that, for some reason, made him shut down all over again.

"My mom sometimes tries to get me more interested in all that stuff," Bra started, looking out the window again, "but I guess it's just not my thing. Trunks has the brains, just not the patience."

Vegeta stared at the side view of her for a moment, "And it's safe to assume that fighting is not your thing either?"

Bra laughed and turned her head to him, "Not at all. Weird, huh? I don't take after either of my parents."

Whether she meant Vegeta or Goku made no difference in this situation. Vegeta couldn't even believe he was about to ask the question that was on his mind, "So what exactly is your _thing _then?"

Bra wanted to make a comment on how interested he was becoming in her. But she figured if she did that, he would dismiss ever wanting to know anything. She put that finger back up to her chin, pretending to think really hard, "Hm…well, I'm big into fashion. I always thought about being a fashion designer. Ya know, for the rich and famous."

Vegeta gritted his teeth, not sure why that answer was annoying him, "What…?"

"Yeah! And then I'll be able to make my own clothes and…and design dresses for special occasions!" Bra's eyes were suddenly sparkling with a desire to talk insistently about her obsession, "Like, Goten's been dating this girl, Paresu, for a couple years now. She's really nice, but somewhat of an airhead. But I told Goten I was happy he found someone that even he was smarter than. Anyway, she has the perfect figure for me to make a wedding dress for. I keep telling Goten that if I design her dress and save them all that money to go out and buy one, that he has to let me be the maid-of-honor. Of course, I know that it's actually up to the girl to decide that, but I know Paresu would want me to be when she sees the dress! And then maybe I can even get Pan to dress up a little. It's about time she gets out of her tomboy stage. Oh, and Mom! I always thought it would be _so _romantic if her and Dad renewed their vows and had an actual wedding. Because I think—."

"_Shut up already!" _Vegeta abruptly yelled, not even caring about the scared and pained look that quickly entered Bra's gaze. "You females are all the same! I ask one simple question and then you insist on going on and on and _on! _I don't _care _about all your empty thoughts!"

Bra felt her face heat up. _How…dare he! _She clenched her fists and felt a scream forming low in her throat. Basically, Vegeta made her feel like throwing a huge tantrum. _He's the one that asked me what I was interested in! Can't he at least listen as I talk about dresses and weddings and…oh. _As quickly as her anger came, it left. She didn't realize it when she was talking away, but it suddenly dawned on her that she hit a sensitive nerve with him. Of course, he never openly admitted to her that he loved her mother, but all the clues were there. She had no right to talk about Bulma and Goku getting married to him.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta…I didn't mean to—."

Vegeta's back was turned to her by now, but he interrupted her with, "I said shut up. We should be arriving at Eslia in about two more hours."

Bra rubbed her arms quickly, suddenly chilled, "That was fast…"

*****

"Come on, Pan! Open up already, it's not like we're going to turn around now just to drop you off," Trunks tried to reason with her on the other side of the door. By now, he was sitting on the floor, his back pressed against the door.

On the other side, Pan was sitting the exact same way, "Then why do you want in here so bad?"

"I have to make sure everything is working properly. In case you forgot already, the ship didn't have the proper amount of time to warm up before we took off," he paused, but continued when she didn't answer, "What'll happen if something's wrong and we don't fix it until it's too late?"

Pan bit her thumbnail out of nervous habit, "I'll only open the door if Grandpa is out there."

Trunks sighed, "He's in his room with Mom right now, trying to get her to calm down. I'm surprised you didn't give her a heart attack, Pan."

"No need to rub it in, Trunks!" Pan yelled, but finally stood up, "Fine. I'll unlock the door…just promise you won't hurt me."

Trunks rolled his eyes and stood up also, feeling this was the moment he'd been aiming towards for the past half hour, "What are you talking about? I just want to make sure everything is all right, like I've been saying."

Pan closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Okay…" she warned, more herself than Trunks. Her finger slowly inched towards the "UNLOCK" button. She was surprised when the door slid open as soon as she pressed it, coming face to face with a very annoyed Trunks.

"So we meet at last," he said with a menacing tone, taking a slow step into the control room so she wouldn't close the door on him again.

Her eyes got wide as she turned to try to run as far as she could, but was cut short when Trunks grabbed her wrist and spun her around.

"Trunks, no! I'm sorry, okay?!" Pan yelled as she tried to wiggle her way free of his grasp, but knowing it was over once he got a hold of her other wrist. Either way, she still tried to break free, screaming when she was thrown to the ground. He pinned her hands over her head, his legs straddling her as he glared down at her.

"What were you thinking, Pan?! You could have put all of us in danger and broke the ship and then how would we ever be able to rescue Bra?!" Trunks criticized, being a little more dramatic than usual.

Being yelled at by him got her annoyed, her eyes quickly matching his glare, "What are you, my father?" With this, she rolled her eyes, "With how messed up things are around here, I guess I shouldn't dismiss the possibility."

Trunks groaned, "Come on, that's ridiculous. I just know Mom and Dad aren't going to yell at you and someone needs to put you in your place."

Pan continued to glare, not appreciating being treated like a five year old one bit, "Don't make me raise my knee, Trunks."

Trunks suddenly realized the position they were in, and how easily it would be for Pan to knee him right in the groin. A long time ago when Pan was still a little girl, he was sparring with her and they got into a similar position. Pan raised her knee right away, doing the only thing that came to mind since she couldn't go into an offensive position. She felt bad afterward, but Trunks told her that she could do that to someone that was actually attacking her, but to avoid it when sparring. Pan made sure to never do it again.

Trunks sighed and stood up, whispering out a, "Cheap-o…" before going over to the control panel.

Pan sat up and rubbed her wrists, "Grandpa's not mad at me, is he?"

He couldn't hold back his laugh at her question, "Him, mad at you? C'mon…"

She smiled gently, knowing he was right. Even when the rest of her family seemed annoyed and peeved at her, her grandpa was still right there beside her, smiling away and supporting her. As if on cue, Goku came in, his grin intact.

"Well, Bulma's calmed down a little," he laughed goodheartedly, "That was a good one, Pan. Though…if you really wanted to go, you could've just asked."

Pan stood up and dusted herself off, "Daddy would have never let me go. Trunks even tried talking to him."

Before he could get another word in, all of them heard Bulma running down the hall, coming closer and closer to the control room, "Goku! _Goku!" _Goku held his smile, waiting for her next complaint to come so he could try to come up with a solution for her. She made her appearance, her eyes wide with terror, her chest heaving in and out at a quick pace.

"What is it, hun?" He began to walk to her, but stopped when her outburst made him realize that he might not be able to help her on this one.

"_I don't have any of my clothes!"_

_------------------------------_

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As you can see, I tried to keep it along the real storyline of when Goku, Trunks, and Pan start their little journey. But, since this is still a Goku/Bulma story, of course I had to tag her along!

AND I JUST FOUND OUT SOMETHING!! It kinda made me happy…yet kinda made me disappointed.

I read about an article where a fan asked Akira Toriyama why he didn't have Goku end up with Bulma (back then, every fan wanted that to happen).Toriyama admitted that he wasn't a very good "romance writer", and after the fan explained the reasons (how their history together as the longest of friends,﻿ is what makes the best couples in anime, and several other things) he even commented that if someone had told him all that back then, he would've married Goku to Bulma instead.

Where were we, people?! WHERE WERE WE!?!?

Cause apparently, he didn't even have "plans" for Bulma anyway. He wasn't even planning on actually bringing Vegeta into the whole picture, but when so many fans seemed to take a liking to him, Toriyama decided to make Vegeta one of the "good guys" and just happened to get with Bulma.

So, again I say…OH WHERE WERE WE TO OPEN TORIYAMA'S EYES?!


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